UCSP

Understanding Culture
Society and Politics
 Social Organizations:
Groups within Society
(Primary and Secondary)
How would you describe
your relationship with
your family?
 How would you describe
your relationship with your
classmates and teachers?
What makes your relationship
with your family members
and school teachers different
from each other?
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
explain how society is organized,
describe the organized nature of social life and
rules governing behavior,
define social organization and social groups, and
differentiate primary and secondary groups in
terms of their duties in society.
 How Society is Organized

People have organized themselves into groups with common rules of living.
The organization of such a group is calledsociety. Different institutions
are found in every community, such as the family, kin relationships,
childcare, and division of work based on gender and age.
All societies, small or large, are organized around an uneven division of
labor and decision-making. Present societies are expected to provide
protection, economic security, law and order, and a sense of belonging to
their members.
Societies usually adapt to changes around them, like in the environment or
in technology. Most changes happen slowly, but some significant events
such as war or revolution can completely transform societies.
 The Threefold Nature of Social Life

Applying Goethes method to social life,

Rudolf Steiner thought that if we apply the
phenomenological, participatory method
to human social life as a multifaceted,
multilayered whole, we can distinguish
three different spheres of activity:
 Three different spheres of
activity
culturaleverything involving the growth and expression of the human spirit:
education, art, science, religion, journalism, and publishing
legal or politicalinvolving human rights and relationships between people
and organizations
economichaving to do with the production, distribution, and consumption of
goods and services

Human society, Steiner claimed, will only flourish if these three spheres are
recognized and each is organized according to its own inherent principles,
dynamics, and ideals
 Social Groups and
Organizations
Sometimes, organization refers to associational
groups. It includes corporations, armies, schools,
and banks. Society composes many of such
organizations. A state is considered as a political
organization, or school may represent an
educational organization, and so on. They are
allsocial organizations.
 Organizationis a state of being or a condition in which
various institutions in society are functioning by their
recognized or implied purposes (Elliott and Merrill, 1950).
Social organizationorsocial systemrefers to the
interdependence of parts in groups. These groups may
differ in size and nature. It makes possible the complex
activities where members of a complex society participate
in.
 Groups within Society

People do not live in isolation. They live in

groups. Social groups consist of two or more
individuals who identify with one another
and regularly interact as a result of shared
norms, values, and expectations. Being in a
group entails realizations of activities and
events in one's life that help people build and
define their stories, interests, and
 Different group categorization exists in society. Categories
include primary and secondary groups, in-groups and out-
groups and reference groups.

Primary Groups
First formulated by Charles Horton Cooley, the concept of a
primary group is an essential unit of social organization and
social life. Aprimary groupis characterized by personal and
lasting relationships with its members.
It has been identified that relationships in a primary type of
team is unconditional and not prearranged. Setting aside family
relations, members of primary groups share lots of things in
common, like interests, stories, or personalities.
Primary Groups

The best example of a primary group is

thenuclear family. Relationships and
attachments organized in this group are
permanent as one's identity, lifestyle, and
stories are tied to this group. A group of close
friends is another example of this group.
Primary Groups

The term 'primary' is used with these groups

because they are the primary or main source of
socialization and relationships. Relationships in
primary groups give us security, love, and
companionship. We also learn norms and values
from our family and friends that stay with us for
most of our lives
 Secondary Group

By contrast,secondary groupsare formal, small or large,

and usually short term. These groups are typically found at
work and school.
An example of this group is a political party organized to plan
the best campaign for the election. Members of the board
meet infrequently and for only a short period. Team members
may have some similar interests, but the main purpose of the
group is on the task instead of the relationships.
 Secondary Group

Classroom and work environment are other

examples of a secondary group.
Sometimes, secondary groups become informal,
and members of the team get to know each
other well; however, even if their friendships
exist in a limited time, they will not necessarily
remain close beyond.
 Unlike the primary group, members
play their roles in a secondary group
based on arranged and conditional
contract. Members of this group need
not to convene based on shared
interests or personalities
 Keypoints
People have organized themselves into groups with common rules of living. The
organization of such groups is calledsociety.
Social organizationorsocial systemrefers to the interdependence of part
Asocial groupconsists of two or more people who regularly interact and share a
sense of unity and collective identity.
Primary groupsare groups that are tightly united, typically small scale, with
intimate relationships, and are usually long lasting.
Secondary groupscan be small or large, are mostly impersonal, and usually
short term. These groups are typically found at work or at school.
Applying Goethes method to social life, Rudolf Steiner concluded that if we apply
the phenomenological, participatory method to human social life as amultifaceted,
multilayered whole, we can distinguish three different spheres of activity cultural,
legal or political and economic.
THANK YOU